Dad's painkiller lands teenager in trouble in Dubai

Dubai - He also tried to give it to his friend.

A 15-year boy has been caught for possessing and consuming tramadol pills, according to Colonel Eid bin Hareb, Director of the General Department of Anti-Narcotics.
The case was blamed on the negligence of his parents, as the boy thought that it was merely being used as a painkiller. He also tried to give it to his friend.
Colonel bin Hareb said that such cases often lead to siblings using drugs, as the police recently recorded a case of two brothers who used drugs because of parental neglect. Family, he noted, has an important responsibility to prevent children from using drugs.
According to the police, the boy gave his friend - who was complaining of a headache - a tramadol pill, but his friend showed it to his teacher, who informed school administration and the police.
Investigators found that the child's father was sick and the pills were prescribed to him. But since he left them on the table, the boy consumed them mistaking them for a painkiller.
Studies have shown that children aged 13-14 are influenced by their friends than their families, particularly in cases of parental neglect. The latest case is merely one of a series of cases that have been detected by Dubai Police.
Colonel bin Hareb added that one of the main reasons that children end up getting into drugs is that parents give them too much money, and do not give any personal attention. If an addict turns himself in willingly or is referred to police by a friend or family member, they will be sent to a rehabilitation centre and will not be treated as criminals, he said.
Awareness programmes has brought down the rate of drug use among UAE nationals by 11.3 percent, he added.
amira@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai